U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) have introduced the bipartisan Widening Internet Readiness for Employment Development (WIRED) Act to help students, veterans, the unemployed, and the underemployed in their job searches.

This bill directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to create guidelines for One-Stop Career Center websitesÑmany of which are clunky and outdatedÑto dramatically improve their design and offer job-seeking services online.

ÒYou canÕt help a 21st-century workforce with 20th-century tools. A job seeker should be able to find job-searching tools on their computer or smartphone without having to walk into a One-Stop Career Center to get assistance,Ó said Swalwell. ÒThis bipartisan legislation helps job-searchers access the skills and preparation they need to find a job.Ó

ÒThereÕs no doubt we need more jobs, but in todayÕs virtual job market, applying for the jobs that are out there can be tough for folks,Ó said Hudson. ÒThis bill will help equip unemployed and underemployed workers, students and veterans with the tools necessary to find and get good-paying jobs they deserve.Ó

ÒIncreasing access to online resources is critical to helping my constituents find jobs that best suit their skills,Ó said Stefanik. ÒThis is why I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing the WIRED Act Ð a commonsense reform that will help bring our job assistance resources into the 21st century and get people back to work.Ó

There are about 2,500 DOL One-Stop Career Centers across the country. The WIRED Act would direct the DOL to create quality standards for local One-Stop location websites and require these centers to offer certain job seeking services virtually. The bill is supported by the National Skills Coalition.